Interesting article cites SDT work by Niko Ntoumanis that challenges the motto “no pain, no gain” adopted by some fitness instructors. Findings suggest that people are more likely to continue to exercise when their instructors use a positive communication style.

“Despite the potential benefits of a need-supportive communication style, evidence suggests the fitness industry is often dominated by motivational approaches which aren’t appropriate to the environment or situation,” Prof Ntoumanis said.

“The development of instructor training programs that pull from contemporary theories of motivation could be an important step to address this gap in instructor training provision.”